The 56th NAACP Image Awards have commenced, celebrating excellence in the arts, with early winners including Ayo Edebiri, Keke Palmer, Marlon Wayans, and Jamie Foxx during the pre-award festivities.
This two-night virtual event is available for streaming on the NAACP Image Awards YouTube channel, with the first night hosted by Angel “ThatChickAngel” Laketa Moore and Marcus Tanksley.
Among the awards presented were Edebiri, recognized for her outstanding breakthrough creative work on FX’s "The Bear"; Palmer, awarded for hosting NBC’s "Password"; Wayans, honored for his guest role on Peacock’s "Bel-Air"; and Foxx, acknowledged for his Netflix special "What Had Happened Was." Additional accolades were granted for film and television writing, directing, and various short film categories, as well as literary contributions.
Taraji P. Henson garnered two awards, one for outstanding supporting actress in a limited television series for Peacock’s "Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist," where she shared the stage with co-star Samuel L. Jackson, who won for supporting actor. Henson’s second award recognized her for the children’s book "You Can Be a Good Friend (No Matter What!): A Lil TJ Book."
Joy Ann Reid, host of MSNBC’s "The Reidout," also took home two honors, one for outstanding news/information series and the second for her biography "Medgar and Myrlie: Medgar Evers and the Love Story That Awakened America." The YouTube series "Gracie’s Corner" won awards for both outstanding children’s program and outstanding animated series.
Leah Sava Jeffries, the star of Disney+’s "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," won for outstanding performance in television, while Cree Summer received the Image Award for outstanding voiceover performance on Nickelodeon’s "Rugrats."
The main broadcast of the 56th Image Awards will occur on February 22, live from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium at 8:00 PM ET/PT on BET and CBS.
Special honorees include Vice President Kamala Harris, who will accept the Chairman’s Award; trailblazing comedian Dave Chappelle, who will receive the President’s Award; and the Wayans family—Keenen, Damon Sr., Marlon, Shawn, Kim, and Damon Jr.—who will be inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame. Additionally, Jotaka Eaddy, CEO of #WinWithBlackWomen, and Essence Communications will be recognized during the Creative Honors ceremony on February 21.
This year, the broadcast will be extended by 30 minutes, lasting two and a half hours, aiming to support the communities affected by recent wildfires in Altadena, Pacific Palisades, and Pasadena. Collaborating with L.A. County and various local organizations, the Altadena Community Preservation Fund has been established to help protect homeowners from displacement and preserve the cultural heritage of the community.
The list of Night 1 winners from the virtual ceremony includes:
- Outstanding Children’s Program: "Gracie’s Corner" (YouTube TV)
- Outstanding Performance by a Youth: Leah Sava Jeffries – "Percy Jackson and the Olympians" (Disney+)
- Outstanding Animated Series: "Gracie’s Corner" (YouTube TV)
- Outstanding Voice-Over Performance: Cree Summer – "Rugrats" (Nickelodeon)
- Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction: "One of Us Knows: A Thriller" – Alyssa Cole
- Outstanding Literary Work – Non-Fiction: "Love & Whiskey" – Fawn Weaver
- Outstanding Literary Work – Debut Author: Sarai Johnson – "Grown Women"
- Outstanding Literary Work – Biography/Autobiography: "Medgar and Myrlie" – Joy-Ann Reid
- Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional: "Wash Day" – Tomesha Faxio
- Outstanding Literary Work – Poetry: "This Is the Honey" – Kwame Alexander
- Outstanding Literary Work – Children: "You Can Be a Good Friend" – Taraji P. Henson
- Outstanding Literary Work – Youth/Teens: "Brushed Between Cultures" – Samarra St. Hilaire
- Outstanding Literary Work – Graphic Novel: "Punk Rock Karaoke" – Bianca Xunise
- Outstanding Variety (Series or Special): "Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was" (Netflix)
- Outstanding Guest Performance: Marlon Wayans – "Bel-Air" (Peacock)
- Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series: Crystal Jenkins – "No Good Deed"
- Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series: Ben Watkins – "Hero Complex"
- Outstanding Writing in a Television Movie or Special: Juel Taylor, Tony Rettenmaier, Thembi L. Banks – "Young. Wild. Free."
- Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television): Ayo Edebiri – "The Bear"
- Outstanding Supporting Actress: Taraji P. Henson – "Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist"
- Outstanding Supporting Actor: Samuel L. Jackson – "Fight Night: The Million Dollar Heist"
- Outstanding Directing in a Television Movie or Special: Tina Mabry – "The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat"
- Outstanding Directing in a Comedy Series: Tiffany Johnson – "How to Die Alone"
- Outstanding Directing in a Drama Series: Rapman – "Supacell"
- Outstanding News/Information (Series or Special): "The Reidout" (MSNBC)
- Outstanding Host in a Reality/Reality Competition: Keke Palmer – "Password" (NBC)
- Outstanding Reality Program: "Celebrity Family Feud" (ABC)
- Outstanding Short Form Series or Special: "The Prince of Death Row Records" (YouTube TV)
- Outstanding Short Form Documentary: "How to Sue the Klan"
- Outstanding Short Form (Live Action): "Superman Doesn’t Steal"
- Outstanding Short Form (Animated): "Peanut Headz: Black History Toonz ‘Jackie Robinson’"
This year’s event promises to be a celebration of artistic achievement and community support.
